Poll
Thanks for your votes, guys; please keep voting
Where should Yukina go after the Fourth Ninja War?
Bleach 67
Cultivation world 74
I will be taking a break for a week to plan Yukina's trials properly. I have a rough idea about the trials but I want to be completely satisfied with it.
This poll will be open until I finish writing the 3rd ninja war saga
I hope you enjoy the chapter.
_________
Inside the King's Palace
When Yukina entered the King's palace, her eyes widened in shock at what she was seeing.
The palace's floors were golden; they gleamed beneath the light, while its silver roof shimmered like moonlight. Precious jewels of every kind were embedded into the crystal ice walls, casting a dazzling spectrum of colors across the grand halls
"WHAT THE HELL? LAST I CHECKED, THIS PALACE WAS MADE OF PURE ICE! SO WHY IS THE FLOOR MADE OF GOLD AND THE ROOF MADE OF SILVER?!" Yukina screamed in her mind, utterly bewildered.
Following the Supreme Elder deeper into the Palace, Yukina passed rows of Dire Wolf statues carved from pure ice, so lifelike they seemed to watch her every step.
Yukina gazed at the statues in awe, a mischievous thought crossing her mind. "I wonder who carved these… Maybe I'll ask him to make one for me when I grow into a stunning woman—one that captures all my beauty and sexiness."
It didn't take long for Yukina and the others to arrive in front of a giant, imposing door made of ice.
Yukina and the others stood before the colossal door, their figures dwarfed like mere ants against an unyielding titan. Even the towering Dire Wolves seemed insignificant beneath its overwhelming shadow.
The Supreme Elder turned sharply to Yukina and the others, his voice firm and commanding. "Human girl, follow me. The rest of you—wait outside.
The Supreme Elder slowly pushed the gigantic door open with his cane, doing so effortlessly, which left Yukina stunned.
She quickly regained her composure and watched as the Supreme Elder strode past the gigantic door
Yukina quickly followed the Supreme Elder and strode past the towering door.
After they walked past the door, the gigantic door shut close all by itself.
"BAAM."
______
After passing through the gigantic door, Yukina found herself in a large hall.
In the center of the hall sat a golden-fur werewolf on a diamond throne, flanked respectfully by nineteen other werewolves standing at his side.
The golden-furred werewolf was bulky and muscular, his crimson eyes burning with intensity. He wore a luxurious cyan robe adorned with intricate patterns and a dazzling diamond crown that gleamed majestically.
Yukina noticed that the nineteen werewolves standing beside the golden werewolf wore robes identical to the Supreme Elder, their eyes blazing with anger as they glared at her.
She wore a small, intrigued smile as she took in the golden werewolf and the throne upon which he sat.
"How interesting."
The golden-fur werewolf glared at the Supreme Elder first; then he barked at him.
"SAIGO, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WHY IS THIS HUMAN CHILD IN MY PALACE AND IN OUR REALM? YOU BETTER HAVE A PROPER EXPLANATION—OR I WILL SEVERELY PUNISH YOU!"
The Supreme Elder gave a small, polite smile to the golden werewolf and said, "My Majesty, use your Deep Gaze Jutsu on the human girl and gaze into her heart, you will understand why I have brought her before you, my lord."
The king and the other werewolves exchanged surprised glances after hearing Saigo's words, then they all turned their gazes toward Yukina and began looking at her seriously.
The king closed his eyes briefly, and when he snapped them open, their color had shifted from scarlet to a deep azure.
The Dire Wolves King fixed his gaze on Yukina, making her feel deeply uncomfortable, as if all her secrets were being laid bare before him.
The Dire Wolves King's eyes widened in shock as he saw Yukina's heart ablaze with golden flames. Though savage and destructive, the flames bore no trace of evil. Instead, they seemed alive—hungry, yearning to grow stronger and evolve.
Suddenly the Dire Wolves king remembered his father's words to him when he was alive.
Flashback
An azure-furred werewolf savored his meal beside the youthful golden-furred werewolf, their contrasting coats shimmering under the flickering firelight.
The youthful golden-furred werewolf locked eyes with the azure werewolf and asked,
"Father, what was Yamamoto-dono truly like?"
The azure-furred werewolf gave a small smile and said, "Yamamoto was a true warrior. Unlike other humans, he never resorted to deceit or betrayal to win his battles. He cared little for victory or defeat, or even for his own life when facing his foes."
"He cared about only one thing: reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship."
The youthful golden-furred werewolf's eyes widened at the words, while the azure werewolf continued speaking.
"When I used the Deep Gaze Jutsu to peer into his heart, I saw it glowing with a golden flame—pure and free of any evil intent."
The youthful golden-furred werewolf looked puzzled and asked, "Father, what do the golden flames signify?"
The youthful golden-furred werewolf was amazed by this but deeply disappointed that he never had the chance to meet Yamamoto in person.
The youthful golden-furred werewolf was amazed after hearing this and he was very disappointed because he didn't had the chance to meet Yamamoto in person.
End of Flashback
The Dire Wolves King rose from his throne, each movement deliberate, and began to walk slowly toward Yukina.
As the Dire Wolves King closed the distance between them, Yukina's gaze lingered on him full of interest.
The Dire Wolves king halted before Yukina, his towering form casting a shadow over her. His voice was low and dangerous as he rumbled, "Human girl… tell me—what is your goal?"
Yukina met the Dire Wolves king's gaze without fear, though confusion flickered in her eyes, and asked, "My goal?"
"My goal?"
The Dire Wolves king nodded once. "Yes. Tell me plainly—what do you wish to achieve? What is your dream? Your ambition?"
Yukina shrugged at the Dire Wolves King's explanation and replied with disarming honesty, "I want to master all the shinobi arts—every Jutsu I can possibly master. I want to face powerful shinobi in life-and-death battles, savoring the thrill of having my life on the line. And, above all, I want to have fun. You wouldn't understand… after all, you're just a humanoid wolf."
Everyone blinked a couple of times after hearing Yukina straightforward answer except for Saigo, who was chuckling.
Once he overcame his surprise, the Dire Wolves King erupted into booming laughter that crashed through the hall like a raging storm.
"GAHAHAHAHA! YOU ARE FAR MORE INTERESTING THAN I EXPECTED, HUMAN GIRL!"
Once his laughter subsided, the Dire Wolves king strode back to his throne and sank into it.
The Dire Wolves king's eyes shifted between Yukina and Saigo. "So, Saigo… if my guess is correct, you brought this human girl here to gain my approval for her to sign a contract with us."
Saigo smiled, nodded respectfully, and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
The king nodded thoughtfully at Saigo's reply, then looked at Yukina. "Alright," he said, "I will subject you to the same trials my father once set for Yamamoto-dono."
As the Dire Wolves king's decree echoed through the hall, everyone's eyes grew wide in surprise—yet Yukina stared at him with suspicion and asked,
""Are you referring to Yamamoto, the samurai who was equal to Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha?"
The king was stunned by Yukina's words and asked, "Oh? You've heard about him?"
Nodding to the Dire Wolves king's question, Yukina replied, "My sensei spoke of him. I heard he battled Hashirama and Madara on equal footing, armed only with his katana."
Nodding slowly, the king's gaze drifted toward the roof, admiration shining in his eyes. "I never got to meet him," he said quietly. "He was a dear friend to my father, the Dire Wolves king before me."
"Before the founding of the hidden villages, he somehow disappeared; however, his name on our contract scroll has not dimmed, indicating he still lives somewhere to this day."
"My father dispatched numerous Dire Wolves skilled in tracking to find him, but they all came back empty-handed."
Yukina was left speechless after hearing this, then she shouted in disbelief, "Oi, oi, slow down! Do you realize how many years have passed since Yamamoto vanished? There's no way he's still alive."
Seeing Yukina's reaction, the Dire Wolves king chuckled and explained, "The contract scroll doesn't lie, girl. If our summoner were dead, his name would have dimmed by now."
"Though the Dire Wolf clan lacks the fame of the Toad, Snake, and Slug clans, our foundation is equally strong, if not stronger."
Yukina was speechless after hearing this; she couldn't believe that Yamamoto was still alive.
The king smiled faintly and said, "Human girl, as I decreed, you will face the very trials my father gave to Yamamoto-dono, but you must complete them within a time limit to pass."
All in the hall were quite and the king continued.
"You must complete all the trials before you reach 16 years of age. You're allowed to attempt them once a month, but only if you survive each trial. That seems fair to me."
Yukina narrowed her eyes in anger and yelled at the king.
"Are you looking down on me because I am a girl?"
The Dire Wolves King shook his head while smiling and replied.
"I'm not looking down on you. The reason for the time limit is that Yamamoto-dono cleared those trials at 15 years old. Your body is still weaker than his was then, so giving you just one chance to complete these trials would be unfair."
"In these trials, participants are prohibited from using their chakra; you must rely solely on your physical strength, without any chakra-based techniques."
Yukina's eyes flashed with excitement for a split second before she erupted into laughter, her fighting spirit shining through. "KYAHAHAHAHA! THESE TRIALS SOUND SO MUCH FUN!"
A collective sweat drop appeared on everyone's faces in the hall—everyone except the king and Saigo, who looked on with amused smiles at Yukina's response.
The Dire Wolves king then continued.
"If you survive the first three trials and reach the final trial, you will battle against 100 Dire Wolves trainees."
Yukina looked confused and asked.
"Trainee?"
The king nodded. "Indeed, these Dire Wolves undergo rigorous training to become formidable soldiers. Do not underestimate them—they are skilled with a wide array of weapons, and you won't be able to use chakra against them."
"You usually only need to survive three days and nights against them to pass the trial. Yet, if you succeed in defeating all of them, I will personally instruct you in our Taijutsu style, Dire Wolf ninjutsu style, our weapon techniques, our genjutsu art, and a host of other arts."
Yukina's eyes brightened up when she heard this and said excitedly, "alright let's go. I want to attempt these trials right now humanoid wolf."
The king chuckled upon hearing this and said, "Fine, follow me, girl."
The king rose from his seat and left the palace, followed closely by Yukina, Saigo, the elders, Bright, Fang Okamichi, and the green-furred Dire Wolf.
______
Back in Kirigakure
The Yuki clan compound
The Yuki clan meeting hall
Yukito sat in the clan head's chair, flanked by the clan elders, while Yuriko stood before him.
Yukito had shared with her the details of his meeting with Zangetsu and the proposal he suggested.
Yuriko was stunned by what she heard and asked her brother, "Yukito, are you really asking me to marry Zangetsu?"
Yukito sighed, but he answered her truthfully.
"Our clan is currently weakened following the deaths of Yukitaro and his faction sister; the quickest way to restore our strength is to forge an alliance with another noble clan."
"In addition, uniting our clans in marriage will help us gradually overcome past hostilities."
"It will benefit both our clan and the Hozuki clan, marking the dawn of a new era."
Yuriko fell silent, her brow furrowing with anger and thought. "I don't want to marry out of obligation—I want to marry out of love. It's not fair, but I understand the clan needs me. What am I supposed to do?"
Yukira watched her twin sister in sadness; she knew her sister always dreamed of being married out of love.
She exhaled slowly, turning to Yukito. "Big Brother, I am ready to marry Zangetsu and to forfeit my position as an elder of the Yuki clan."
The entire hall fell silent, eyes wide with shock after hearing Yukira's statement—Yuriko among them, staring at her sister in stunned disbelief.
Yukito narrowed his eyes at his sister, his killing intent were filling the hall and said. "Yukira, what are you up to? I know you well. You'd better be honest with me—if you lie, I won't show mercy, even if you're my sister. So choose your next words carefully."
Everyone grew tense, sensing Yukito's killing intent. Yukira took a deep breath to steady herself before answering him honestly.
"Ever since Yukitaro forced me to abandon my daughter, I've kept a close watch on her. She befriended the genius genin of the Hozuki clan—the son of elder Nangetsu."
"They spar with each other often; if I marry Zangetsu, I might be able to reconnect with my daughter."
Everyone in the hall sighed in their heart after hearing her explanation.
Yukito's eyes softened towards his sister and said, "Yukira, I can't make decisions based on emotion; I need some time to think you are all dismissed."
All the elders and Yuriko stood up and exited the meeting hall.
______
At the same time
At the Hozuki clan's meeting hall.
Zangetsu sat in the clan's head chair, surrounded by his clan elders
"KNOCK, KNOCK."
"ENTER."
Suddenly a beautiful woman in her early-twenties entered the meeting hall.
She was wearing an elegant blue kimono with rose petals all over it.
She has long silver hair cascading like a shimmering waterfall, framing a face with elegant, perfectly arched eyebrows. Her charming blue eyes sparkle beneath graceful, fluttering eyelashes, while her cherry-like lips curve into a subtle, inviting smile. Her pale, smooth skin glows softly, complementing the graceful contours of her curvaceous figure.
She was quite beautiful, but her beauty doesn't compare to either Yuriko or Yukira.
The woman smiled softly at Zangetsu and asked, "Brother, how can I help you?"
Zangetsu smiled softly at his sister and said, "Sit down, Tsuki; we need to talk."
Tsuki nodded and took a seat as Zangetsu began recounting his meeting with Yukito in detail, explaining the arranged marriage to his sister.
Tsuki was stunned at what she heard; she gave a soft, unnoticeable smile.
"Marrying my crush—given the history between our clans, I never imagined it could happen. It feels like a dream," Tsuki thought quietly to herself.
Zangetsu raised an eyebrow when he saw his sister smiling. "I expected her to be angry and yelling, not smiling like that. I'll have to talk to her later to find out what's really going on."
He then asked Tsuki, "Sister, I want to know if you are willing to marry Yukito for the future of the clan. This marriage is very important to the Hozuki clan."
With a gentle smile, Tsuki nodded. "Brother, I will do anything for the clan. If marrying Yukito is what the clan needs, I am willing to accept it."
Gangetsu, who was sitting not far from Zangetsu, widened his eyes, his jaw almost dropped as he thought.
"Things aren't right. Is this the same stubborn and selfish sister of mine? Usually she will start yelling and cursing all of us, but now she is obedient like a rabbit; this doesn't make any sense."
Zangetsu sighed in relief in his heart and said in his mind, "I am glad it went smoothly. I don't know what is going on with Tsuki, but I am not complaining."
He then smiled at Tsuki and said, "Thank you, Tsuki. The clan owes you a great debt of gratitude; you may leave."
Tsuki stood up; she bowed to her brother and the elders respectfully and exited the meeting hall.
_____
With Tsuki
With eyes sparkling with happiness, Tsuki skipped down the hallway toward her room.
"I can't believe it—I'm actually marrying Yukito-kun! He'll be mine, and I'll be his. It feels like a dream come true."
Tsuki then started picturing Yukito handsome face, his long black hair, and his muscular physique in her mind.
The more she pictured Yukito, the more she blushed.
The Hozuki clan's servants and clansmen exchanged puzzled glances as Tsuki skipped past them toward her room, but she paid them no mind.
When she reached her room, she closed the door, and she threw herself at her bed.
Tsuki started smiling and laughing in happiness.
Once she composed herself, she declared loudly to no one but herself, "Wait for me, Yukito-kun. I will make you the happiest man in the world, and you'll fall for me—I swear it."
______